


My Jigsaw Memory

by Wolstenbabies (Inter5tella)



Category: Muse
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-20
Updated: 2012-08-06
Packaged: 2017-11-03 23:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/387165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inter5tella/pseuds/Wolstenbabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A simple romance, unfolding more and more with each chapter, involving around Matt and Dom</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Acrid Smoke

  


     The chatter on the streets continued as he lit a cigarette, staring down below pensively as he waited for the inevitable phone call from either Chris, Dom, or the girl from last night. He inhaled a deep drag, as he allowed himself become totally enveloped in the silence that filled the air around him, while he sat on the window bench peering out the window. He continued to stare down at the streets below, crowded as usual with business men and women clad in dark suits, now and then a person broke the chain of monochrome that painted the streets with a bright colour. At this rate of time being melted away into oblivion, he knew it would be Dom to call him, and hoped that he would be able to explain the events leading to him being at his old flat, the one he had not entered for nearly a year, or was it longer he couldn't quite tell.

Matt listened closely to the silence, as if he were expecting the walls so suddenly erupt with speech and explain all the mysteries they had long since solved. He took another deep drag of his cigarette which was still pressed between his lips, and blew out the acrid smoke into the window. He noticed some of the old drawings from children's fingertips — no doubt Chris' kids. It was as he traced over the drawings that he realized the scratch marks over his arms, and felt the surge of stinging from marks across his hips and chest. His hands then traced over all the lines spread across him as he tugged at the sleeves of his sweater attempting to hide the marks from sight.

     Suddenly his phone rang breaking the lull, while he stared at the dark clouds painted on the skies above. He answered on the third ring already knowing it was as he expected — Dom. "Hey Dom... yeah I remember that part.... that part too... the fuck... I did what? Well whatever I have done worse... Yeah sure you can come over... wait how in hell did you know I wound up at that flat? ...yeah well alright then... Yes I'm dressed... I guess I'll order something in... What did you have in mind? ...Well I was thinking more along the lines of going out.... yea Chinese sounds good... Chow mein, and I'll have orange chicken... yeah we can share I don't mind... Okay got it. See you soon then... Uhm yeah you too." After Matt hung up he called their favorite Chinese restaurant and placed the order for the two, adding only two egg rolls, and an egg drop soup, with a pint of pork fried rice. He was told about twenty minutes or so, but they hung up before he found the price.

     Matt stared at the large grandfather clock beside the fireplace across from the bench he was seated at. He let out a small sigh and walked to his bedroom three rooms away grabbing his acoustic guitar. Might as well play while I wait, being that the cable's been cut since I moved into the new place... At least I kept the electric and whatnot on, he thought as he tuned his guitar. He then allowed his hands to play freely without his brain intervening. He started to play "Unintended," while he allowed his mind to sink peacefully into his memories, singing along without realizing, as he snapped back into reality he was just finishing up, and before he could stop himself he sang out his memory-induced altered lyric, " Before you... disappear, just please don't forget me. I love you my dear." He closed with a soft hmm, and shook off the memories and nostalgia, Holy fucking hell, brain you have got to stop me from being this stupid lovesick bastard, and you know damn well that is not how the song ends.

With a yawn he stopped playing his fourth song- a Smiths' one he loved and inhaled deeply with his eyes still closed. His eyes fluttered open and set their cool gaze out the window, as he picked up the still lit cigarette. He took a drag, exhaled, and noticed as the window fogged with the smoke a few drawings made by the fragile small fingers of a child. He remembered the day it would have been made- Christmas day when he hosted the band's gathering. It had snowed three days before; the adults were gathered by the fire talking and exchanging stories one after another, while Chris' children played with one another, and their big family gift of a puppy. It was a golden Labrador Retriever that ended up named Fedora by the kids as a group, she was now a whole year and 3 months old, and considered fully grown. Matt sat silently as the memories flooded over him as he traced the drawings again careful not to smudge any and smiled, he remembered how the ice on the roads made it impossible for everyone to go home that night as they planned, and instead each room was filled with hushed conversations, and laughter, and the warmth that surrounded them all, and how they all had a huge breakfast together, at the oversized dining table and the small booth that was placed in the kitchen near the other window.

     Matt finally was able to make his way out of the tangled memories, his heart slowly returning to its normal rate. His phone rang breaking the silence that had swept over the apartment. “Hello… yes I placed the order… I’ll meet you at the lobby of the building, is that alright? …Okay great, how much is that again? … Got it. Thank you,” he checked the bills in his pocket searching for a few smaller notes, to no avail. He grabbed the key, stuffed it in his pocket and pulled out a 50€ pressing it in his opposite pocket and walked down the corridor to the elevator. Pressing the “L” button he let out a sigh, These memories will not get the best of me today, he thought, and closed his eyes counting each buzz of the elevator marking off each floor, until it reached, 24, and the door opened after a soft ring. He immediately noticed the delivery person waiting, waved, and handed him the 50€, “Thank you very much.” The man stared at the larger amount of bills, and offered him change, “Keep it, and don’t worry.”

He followed him outside, and grabbed a cigarette from his back pocket, as he noticed Dom approaching the last step to the entrance. Matt pressed the cigarette between his lips and shifted the two bags of food to one hand as he held the door opened for him. Dom grabbed the second bag from Matt and led the way into the elevator, "Thanks," muttered Matt as he followed him to the elevator. With a quick ring the elevator arrived on the floor, and the two entered together in silence. As the door closed Dom grabbed Matt's free hand, after a quick hesitation he laced his fingers between his. Matt pulled away quickly as Dom attempted to break the tension that fell over the elevator as it buzzed quietly marking each floor, "So lovely day wasn't it?," to which Matt nodded never breaking his gaze from the numbers lighting up above the door.

     Finally with a loud ring, the doors opened and they turned to the right towards the large padded door of Matt's apartment. With a smile Dom grabbed his key to the apartment that he was given months ago and opened the door. As soon as they entered and made put down the bags on the booth in the den pressed against the window Matt spoke again. "So this is the part where you explain what the fuck happened to us all last night I remember Chris left early cause of the wife and kids and then after that is a total mystery."


	2. Dinner for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple romance, unfolding more and more with each chapter, involving around Matt and Dom.

Dom stared off outside the window before answering, “So you don’t remember any of that, or what you said, or anything… well it’s a bit of a blur for me too, but I can’t tell if it was something serious or not. I mean I see this one memory or maybe a dream playing back since. I mean I’m not entirely positive if it really happened or not, and if so what was the exact things before. I mean it’s hard to explain as it. Honestly. Can we talk about it after we eat, please I’m hungry.” He said as he grabbed two large plates as well as two bowls from the cabinet. Dom walked back to the table and sat across from Matt, who still seemed to be on edge. “Listen, it’s probably nothing, but if it isn’t we’ll talk about it all afterwards, is that alright,” Dom asked as he served some chow mein for the both of them, using a spoon, while breaking apart the disposable chopsticks that were in the bag. He served the eggrolls next and filled the two bowls with rice and placed the orange chicken in the middle.  
Matt nodded in agreement followed Dom who broke separate the chopsticks and began eating quietly and grabbed the remote to the stereo that was on table closest to him. He reached over, and just turned it on; the two ate quietly as the music filled the air, creating a comfort for the both of them. The song playing was a classic by Hendrix, “Well she was walking through the clouds, with a circus in mind that’s running round…” 

Dom tapped along without realizing it, which Matt noticed and smirked at. “I bet you don’t realize you’re doing it do you?” Matt muttered, Dom stared up as he placed down his glass, “Realize I’m doing what? I’m not doing anything am I?” he asked in reply. “Nothing never mind, you always do it, and never ever seem to notice, I wonder if you’d do it even in bed, with someone. Bet that would be interesting… It’s tapping… you constantly tap out all the drums to everything you hear, with your foot and your fingers, it’s sort of silly.” “Oh it’s a habit I’ve had since I was a boy… Sorry if it was bothering you though.” “It doesn’t I think it’s quite nice… sort of cute too… in a way,” Matt grumbled between bites of his food. 

The two finished their dinner, as Matt received a message from Chris. Apparently there had been some pictures leaked from the night before published in some magazines, Chris was wondering if they could explain or manage to deflect, as well as a message from management, demanding an explanation, as well as a reminder that they were scheduled for an interview at precisely 8pm at a local radio show. Matt finished his glass of wine, and cleared his throat announcing to Dom, “We’ve got a radio bit in about an hour and a half; it’s on the other side of town though I think we should leave like now, it gets sort of congested otherwise. So the question of the day, you drive or shall I and whose car would we take?” “In the words of the Beatles, ‘Baby you can drive my car’ so baby you’re driving my car; it’s parked in your garage. I assumed you wouldn’t mind me squeezing by, after all you gave me the codes and all that jazz,” said Dom mocking the lyrics in a whiny tone, while laughing between words. He then emptied his dishes, and grabbed Matt’s bare dishes, and put them in the sink – washing them with care instead of putting them in the dishwasher. Matt put away the remains of the pork fried rice and finished the rest of the wine straight from the bottle. 

Dom shook his head at Matt who was still swallowing down the half bottle left, while awkwardly sliding his sleeve down to hide the scratches. “Don’t get drunk off of that, we don’t want to do anything or say anything we’d regret after all.” “Piss off man, it’s just wine,” said Matt dryly as he shook the bottle upside down satisfied seeing no droplets spiral downward. “Besides wine is weaker than say whiskey, or vodka, or what have you. I’m not even drunk yet. You know damn well it takes a lot more than that to get to me.” Dom nodded and watched Matt stretch beside him, catching a glimpse of a few scratches on his temporarily exposed hips and touched them before catching himself. 

Matt looked at Dom surprised, ashamed, and trying to explain himself, “I honestly don’t know how those happened there are more, maybe it had to do with last night or something.” Dom shrugged and lead Matt to the service elevator, which lead to the garage directly, from the sound of it, it was now pouring outside, and without a doubt the paparazzi would be searching for a new scandal after last night’s show from both Dom and Matt at the bar – neither of them know exactly what happened, but they know it had to have made quite a scene for them to land on any tabloids.


	3. A Stolen Kiss

Matt and Dom both entered the elevator in silence; Dom pressed the button for the garage, and broke the silence. “So are you in any way ready for this interview, or know what the main topic is going to be, you’re usually pretty good at these,” he said as he grabbed his keys, and walked towards the car. He tossed the key at Matt, who caught it clumsily as they walked to the car, and got inside, Matt was driving as Dom had insisted, and Dom fumbled around in the backseat clearing off as much of his stuff possible, and balling up a jacket of his to use as a pillow as he lounged in the back. Matt turned the car on, followed by the radio, and GPS, entering the address for the studio they would be meeting up with Chris at, he then revved the engine and stopped short, laughing as Dom fell forward, “You should have been wearing a seatbelt.” “Hell with your seatbelts, your driving is just reckless, and this isn’t even your car,” he shouted back as he adjusted himself back on the seat sliding on his seatbelt reluctantly.

With a sigh Dom closed his eyes, trying his hardest to remember what the fuck happened the night before, and a flash of memory flooded through his mind. He remembered vague details, but probably the most important keys in recalling the events and the order, Dom remembered waking up just before sunrise, and realizing he was on the floor beside Matt’s bed in his old flat, and how he drove back to his own place to shower, clean up, and try to sleep some more, while nursing his hangover. “You know Matt… I may have… erm … well slept over last night man, and I remember waking up on the floor of your room there, and you were beyond assed out, and well I was just in my boxers. It may be nothing, but maybe I don’t know. I maybe said too much to you, whatever though please just forget it. Just forget I said anything.” He turned on the radio to the classic rock station and tapped along listening to the music.

As soon as he finished the silence between the two grew heavier and heavier as they wove their way through traffic. Finally the two made it to the studio, and Matt pulled into the garage, parking the car in the furthest corner and closest to the elevator. He turned off the radio stared at Dom who found himself looking back curiously trying to read Matt’s expressions. Finally Matt broke the silence and tension, “I remember that – vaguely at least, but I do remember it. So why’d you leave? I woke up around nine or so, to have a leak, and you were fucking gone, what the hell man.” As he continued to ramble Dom pressed his lips against Matt’s stealing another kiss, another memory, and more importantly more time from Matt.  After he pulled away he added, “You don’t know when to shut the fuck up sometimes, you know. Besides I’m sorry, I panicked, I freaked, and I was fucking hung the hell over. Seriously you know I wouldn’t really abandon you like that, besides, I got worried you didn’t fully remember it all, and I didn’t want to scare you,” his fingers slowly lacing between Matt’s own. Dom brushed away some of Matt’s hair and added, “Right now is not the time to bicker or discuss this after all we have an interview, and you have to be that bloody best frontman ever, fuck whatever is going around the tabloids, they can kiss are asses. Besides Chris is probably waiting awkwardly as usual, or attempting to diffuse the inevitable time-bomb that’s been caused by this whole muck.” Matt nodded and the two headed towards the elevator, while Matt handed the keys back to Dom and pulled his hand away from his, noticing a security camera facing the doors of the elevator.

“Right then, here’s the major rule I have about this whole thing, or relationship, or what have you, nothing in the public’s eye, at least not until way later. I don’t want to attract attention to the band for anything besides our music, I mean we have had already our share of rumors, and nonsense, why bother to add more.” He pressed the button for the station’s floor, waiting to arrive, luckily Chris was just outside the door of the station’s studio, waiting for them and pacing.

“What took so long, you know what never mind that, here’s the deal, just admit that you guys were beyond pissed last night. Apologize to the fans, and have a good laugh about it, make it seem like things just went overboard celebrating the end of our tour, and hell maybe hint at the new album a bit, toss out some secrets for the fans, and keep it simple,” said Chris as he took his place between the two, quietly pushing them forward to the door. They all took a deep breath together and Matt stepped forward putting on his best smile, followed by Chris who exchanged a sheepish smile with the secretary who greeted them, and their manager who patted Dom – the last to enter on the shoulder with a grin. 


	4. Acoustic Secrets

The interview began, and all eyes were focused on the dynamic duo – Matt and Dom. The two apparently caused some damage to various areas across London, with their drunken antics. Neither of them had been too keen about any of this, well except for Chris who happened to be in this case sort of the parent at this point, not only of his clan of Wolstenholmes, rather the band as well. He knew, as did the tabloids, but most importantly he was dealing with their drunken storm quietly behind the scenes, swiftly, carefully wiping away any of the smudges caused. 

Finally the inevitable arrived the moment when the interviewer asked the obvious, “Did that all really happen last night – you know the whole dancing on tables, pissing in the streets and provoking quite the stir?” Matt sipped his mug of freshly brewed coffee before answering, “We were celebrating, is that so wrong to do, and yeah things got a bit out of hand, but you know what, it was a good time, nobody got hurt, and sure we made fools out of ourselves. By the word ‘we’ I mostly mean myself, but that’s not the purpose of this interview right? The real one is to lay out some of our stunning secrets. Like a good hand of cards, and let’s say the fans are going to be totally up for this one. Check my twitter for more information, let’s say in less than a year from this moment there will be a new album, a totally new concept, a new look for us all. New gear, a more matured sound, and of course a greater experience for them all,” he answered gesturing towards Dom to finish up the official statement. “What Matt’s referring to is all true I can safely say, that’s why we were celebrating last night, we got the total okay to go ahead with our new project, and we got a bit pissed,” Dom added with some laughter. With Tom keeping an ever watchful eye on the clowns, he flashed two thumbs up allowing them to hint and gather up a rise from the callers and answer questions, as long as they didn’t reveal too much. 

“Yes, this album is going to involve really sweet guitar solos, of course, what album wouldn’t,” answered Matt to a young girl who called by the name of Kammy, she squealed an excited yes, and added her own personal thanks to the band, and even a hello to Tom Kirk who was probably there. “We have a psychic on the line clearly, and you hear that Tom she remembers you and said even a hello. What a sweetheart. I don’t think we have much time left, but regardless much love to you darling,” he added while blowing a kiss to the camera that was recording them for the web-aired episode. Matt’s ex called up to wish the band the best of luck. “That’s awkward, but best of luck to you too. Maybe this is your year to finally get a good role, right babe?” added Matt with a hint of malice; he knew she only called to make herself look better and sweet to their fans, as well as her own. She was similar to a leech sucking out his fame and notoriety as a leech would do blood, for herself. Thankfully Matt finally caught sight of her cheating, her lies, and most importantly saw her for the monster she truly was and dumped her, right before she finished shooting her latest – terrible romantic comedy. Dom giggled and added, “He means that nicely you know and I think that’s about all the time we have right now, we are going to do our best to answer your letters and tweets, we’ll see you this summer!” Dom smiled to the camera, while Chris waved a goodbye, adding “Love you all and stay great, be sure to check my twitter for secret events.” Dom laughed and pointed to Chris mouthing the words, “He means football matches,” to the camera right before it went off air. As they finished off by selecting an hour worth of songs from each of them, they left together. 

After it was all over and finished Matt and Dom both received praise about how they handled the complexity of the situation and how they actually managed to gain more followers on twitter from newer fans, as well as the old ones. According to Tom this new ‘era’ would probably bring a huge profit to the band, and fuel worldwide tour, expanding their fan base even further, not to mention that the hint that Matt left everyone with about the summer’s event they had planned already was already provoking the fans to work together to find out what it was referencing. Tweets, emails, and the like already were flooding in from just that section of London alone, along with a few American fans. 

While the band together picked out a playlist, as well as preformed a short acoustic set after they selected each of the songs, and even played a few random covers – including a Smashing Pumpkins song and even the Mellon Collie theme on piano played by Matt at the ending of the set. The set was recorded and they decided to play a few of their old and ditched demos for their fans. Finally the whole radio show was brought to a close with a few cheers, and the names released of the demo tracks, and the new track – Survival. A new round of phone calls were already in order, but regrettably they were not able to answer all questions, instead the host deferred them to asking on twitter, writing, and even inquiring about the songs, spoilers, and the like on their facebook. 

They were finally allowed to depart from the studios separately to the car park, and Chris immediately noticed Dom and Matt leaving together, he shrugged it off and left them be. Dom was positive nobody was watching and tried to snatch Matt’s hand; instead Matt tugged away and looked ahead without speaking of it. Matt was not as naïve as Dom, and acknowledged the cameras that would probably be watching them, as well as the inevitable pop ups of paparazzi sniffing out a fresh scandal on the successful trio. When the two were both in the car, Matt sat in the passenger seat, and held his head in his hands, careful to cover his mouth, as well as making it appear to any onlookers that he was suffering the painful pangs of a migraine or headache. “We can’t come out as – well you know or whatever we are for the moment, there’s just too much pressure on the band, too many expectations, maybe when we’re on tour again things will ease up. I’m sorry, you know I’m just worried,” sighed Matt. Dom smiled and said, “That’s fine with me, as long as we can still you know – see each other, hang out, and talk, if you want to do repeats of last night that’s more than fine by me.”


End file.
